Pop action toy ball

Abstract

A pop action toy ball assembly. The pop action toy ball assembly has a lower hemispherical section and a separate upper hemispherical section. The two hemispherical sections are joined together by a connection element. The connection element has one end that is anchored to the apex of the lower hemispherical section. The connection element extends upwardly through the apex of the upper hemispherical section without being affixed to the upper hemispherical section. The lower hemispherical section is selectively positionable between a normal orientation, where a first surface faces outwardly, and an inverted orientation, where a second surface faces outwardly. If the toy ball assembly is impacted while the lower hemispherical section is inverted, the toy assembly pops from its inverted orientation back into its normal orientation.

1. A pop action toy ball assembly, comprising:
 a lower hemispherical section having a first surface and a second surface, wherein said first surface and said second surface both extend from a wide base rim to a first central apex, wherein a first aperture is disposed through said lower hemispherical section at said first central apex, and wherein said lower hemispherical section is selectively positionable between a normal orientation, where said first surface faces outwardly, and an inverted orientation, where said second surface faces outwardly; and 
 an upper hemispherical section having a second central apex, wherein a second aperture is disposed through said upper hemispherical section at said second central apex, and 
 an elongated shaft joining said lower hemispherical section to said upper hemispherical section, said elongated shaft having an impact disc at one end, a knob at an opposite end, and a stop disc disposed on said elongated shaft proximate said impact disc; 
 wherein said elongated shaft extends through said first aperture of said lower hemispherical section between said impact disc and said stop disc, therein mechanically interlocking said elongated shaft with said lower hemispherical section; and 
 wherein said elongated shaft extends through said second aperture of said upper hemispherical section between said stop disc and said knob, therein enabling said elongated shaft to freely move through said second aperture between said stop disc and said knob as said lower hemispherical section moves between said normal orientation and said inverted orientation; 
 wherein said upper hemispherical section and said lower hemispherical section form a spherical shape when said lower hemispherical section is in said normal orientation. 
 
     
     
       2. The assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein said lower hemispherical section and said upper hemispherical section are made of dissimilar elastomeric materials, wherein said lower hemispherical section has a durometer greater than that of said upper hemispherical section. 
     
     
       3. The assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein said lower hemispherical section is symmetrically disposed around a mid-axis and said elongated shaft extends along said mid-axis. 
     
     
       4. The assembly according to  claim 3 , wherein said base rim exists in a plane that is perpendicular to said mid-axis. 
     
     
       5. The assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein said lower hemispherical section tapers in thickness between said first surface and said second surface, from a first thickness at said base rim to a second larger thickness at a transition plane between said base rim and said central apex. 
     
     
       6. The assembly according to  claim 5 , wherein said lower hemispherical section has a uniform thickness between said first surface and said second surface from said transition plane to said central apex. 
     
     
       7. A pop action toy ball assembly, comprising:
 a first hemispherical section capable of being manually inverted between a normal orientation and an inverted orientation; 
 a second hemispherical section having an apex and an aperture that extends through said second hemispherical section at said apex; 
 an elongated shaft coupling said first hemispherical section to said second hemispherical section, said elongated shaft having a first end and a second end, wherein said first end of said elongated shaft is anchored to said first hemispherical section and wherein said elongated shaft extends through said aperture in said second hemispherical section before terminating at said second end, therein enabling said elongated shaft to freely move through said second aperture as said first hemispherical section moves between said normal orientation and said inverted orientation. 
 
     
     
       8. The assembly according to  claim 7 , wherein both said first hemispherical section and said second hemispherical section are made of elastomeric material. 
     
     
       9. The assembly according to  claim 8 , wherein said first hemispherical section has a durometer greater than that of said second hemispherical section. 
     
     
       10. A pop action toy assembly, comprising:
 a first hemispherical body having a first surface and a second surface, wherein said first surface and said second surface both extend from a wide base rim to a first central apex, wherein said hemispherical body is selectively positionable between a stable normal orientation, where said first surface faces outwardly, and a stable inverted orientation, where said second surface faces outwardly; 
 a second hemispherical body having a second central apex, wherein an aperture is formed through said second hemispherical body at said second central apex; and 
 an elongated shaft having a first end coupled to said first central apex of said first hemispherical body wherein said elongated shaft extends through said aperture in said second hemispherical body therein enabling said second hemispherical body to slide freely along said elongated shaft. 
 
     
     
       11. The assembly according to  claim 10 , wherein said first hemispherical body and said second hemispherical body are sized to form a uniform spherical ball when aligned. 
     
     
       12. The assembly according to  claim 10 , wherein first hemispherical body and said second hemispherical body are made of different materials, wherein said first hemispherical body has a durometer greater than that of said second hemispherical body.